Peak Oil Task Force Report - City of Bloomington - State of Indiana

• Running laundry machines and dishwashers at full capacity instead of doing small
loads saves water on every load; and
• Used bathwater can be "re‐used" for hand laundry, and dishwater (held in dishpans)
is more than suitable for flushing toilets.
All told, it is possible to bring household water use down to under 10 gallons per capita per
day without reducing sanitation or compromising any essential services.
3. New fixtures
New fixtures improve water use efficiency, providing the same services at
lower water cost. Repairs to leaks and changes in behavior—learning the
household water cascade and its economies—conserves water that would
otherwise be wasted. In a city with many rental units there are unfortunately conflicting
incentives around reducing water use. Most multi‐unit buildings provide water as a service
of rent, so tenants have no economic incentive to conserve. Conversely, in rented single‐
family housing, old fixtures may waste water paid for by the tenant, while replacement of
these is a cost the landlord may seek to avoid. The same problems apply, with even more
acute energy impacts, to heating and cooling equipment, insulation, etc. The incentives
align, however, for owner‐occupied houses. It is recognized that water use increases with
affluence, with (ironically) aridity of climate, and in older housing stock (because of leaks,
older plumbing fixtures and appliances).
Report of the Bloomington Peak Oil Task Force 201